The Hunger Games, the Hollywood film in which teenage characters fight one
another in a televised battle to the death, is poised for a record opening
at the box office.

Based on a best-selling book trilogy by Suzanne Collins, the £65 million film is being hailed as the successor to the Twilight and Harry Potter franchises.

It opens around the world on March 23 and the European premiere takes place in London tonight. Studio chiefs are hopeful that the film will score the highest opening weekend figures of the year so far.

The film was heading for a 15 rating but the British distributor, Lionsgate UK, made last-minute cuts in order to secure a more lucrative 12A classification. They included “digitally removing blood splashes from wounds and weapons” and editing four scenes which the British Board of Film Classification deemed too violent for younger viewers.

In the US, where the books have sold 24 million copies, analysts expect the film to overtake the first Twilight instalment with one of the biggest debuts of all-time. It has already set a record for first-day advance ticket sales and could become the biggest ever March opener.

UK book sales total around one million but the film should provide a significant boost for the series, which has been criticised as “hyper-violent” but draws a devoted fanbase.

Unlike Twilight, the vampire franchise aimed predominantly at teenage girls, The Hunger Games also appeals to young male readers.

And while the Twilight saga was aimed at young adults and featured a female character in the lead, the comparisons end there.

The setting for The Hunger Games is a dystopian North America in which 24 teenagers are selected to take part in a macabre contest that leaves only one victor standing. Collins drew on Greek mythology and Roman gladiatorial battles for her ideas, as well as the modern obsession with reality television.

Jennifer Lawrence, the 21-year-old actress, is the feisty heroine in the screen adaptation. She plays Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old who volunteers to enter the games in her younger sister's place.

Zygi Kanasa, CEO of Lionsgate UK, believes Katniss is a strong role model for girls, unlike Bella in the Twilight saga.

"Katniss really is a true, modern heroine. She's much more than the victim that Bella is," said Kanasa.

Lawrence was Oscar-nominated for her role in Winter's Bone, the 2010 independent drama, but The Hunger Games is her highest profile film to date.